Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-21

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The take below gives information about the underground railway systems in six cities.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Underground Railway Systems

City	Date opened	Kilometers of route	Passengers per year (in millions)
London	1863	394	775
Paris	1900	199	1191
Tokyo	1927	155	1927
Washington DC	1976	126	144
Kyoto	1981	11	45
Los Angeles	2001	28	50

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The chart illustrates information about the underground railway systems in six cities.

Overall,the most busiest railway station is Tokyo in six cities and Paris is slightly low than tokyo.On the other hand Kyoto has most less passengers per year and Los Angles is not far behind with Kyoto.

Paris and Tokyo underground railway station started in 20th century and there Kilometers of route has not difference but Tokyo has highest Passengers Per Year(in millions)that 1927 but Paris has slightly less that is 1191 Passengers Per Y ear ( in million).London railway system opened in 19th century with not that much kilometers range and their Passengers Per Year are 7759(in millions).

In contrast, Kyoto railway syestem opened in 1981 with short route and there Passengers Per Year are lowest in six cities and Los Angles has 50 million per year so this city is the secong lowest in that ration. Washington DC opened in 1976 and 126 kilometers of route has 144 Passengers Per Year(in millions) that is more than lst two cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the subject and include an overview, noting Tokyo’s high passenger use and Kyoto’s low figure, and you make some relevant comparisons between Paris and Tokyo and between Kyoto and Los Angeles. However, the overview is inaccurate: Tokyo has the most passengers, not the “most busiest railway station,” and London has the longest route, a key feature that is omitted. Several figures are also misreported or unclear: London’s annual passenger total is given as 7759 rather than 775, and the comparison of route lengths as having “not difference” is misleading (199 km versus 155 km). To strengthen the response, select the main contrasts accurately and report all figures precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs comparing groups of cities. Linking phrases such as “Overall” and “In contrast” show an attempt to guide the reader. However, progression is uneven: the overview is followed by comparisons that do not consistently develop the most important features, and the final sentence’s reference to “last two cities” is unclear. Some connections are also awkward, such as “On the other hand” before the Kyoto and Los Angeles comparison. Organise the details by clear contrasts—for example, oldest and longest systems, busiest systems, then the two smallest—and use precise references to make each comparison easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “underground railway systems,” “route,” “opened,” and “Passengers per year,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, including “most busiest railway station” (the data concern systems, not stations), “slightly low than,” and “most less passengers.” Spelling errors such as “Angles,” “syestem,” and “secong” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise comparative language and vary the repeated phrase “Passengers per Year”; for example, use “annual passenger numbers” or “carried … million passengers annually.” Check spelling and use standard forms such as “Los Angeles” and “Kyoto railway system.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and joined sentence forms, and the reader can usually identify the cities and figures being discussed. However, control is inconsistent, particularly in comparisons and sentence boundaries. For example, “Paris is slightly low than tokyo” lacks the correct comparative construction, while “Kyoto has most less passengers” is not grammatically formed. The sentence beginning “Paris and Tokyo underground railway station started…” also has unclear number and agreement, and several sentences run together without appropriate punctuation. Use complete, controlled sentences such as “Tokyo’s system carries more passengers annually than Paris’s,” and check articles, possessives, agreement, and punctuation when combining comparisons.

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